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Saturday, February 06, 2010

I am, for the most part, what people would call an organized person. And I do try to be. I have a PDA where I keep my calendar which I synchronize with my laptop. I make lists of things to do. I keep notebooks and files. I have a spiral notebook handy in my purse to jot down things on the run. I maintain a set schedule for things that have to be done, like paying the bills.

But I find that’s not always compatible with the part of my brain that writes. That part wants to be free of restrictions. It wants to brainstorm, jump from one idea to another without any tethers. That part wants to play at night, dance through scenes, visit characters, try out dialogue. It would be happy to take over and run things.

But lately the organized side has taken over, almost shutting down the creative side, especially in the last few days before the Story Circle Network National Conference. Last night – this morning, actually – I woke at 4 a.m. I could have gotten up, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to go back to sleep. I was determined to go back to sleep.

Instead I lay there running through things I might have overlooked in getting ready to moderate the Getting Published panel. An hour and a half later, I was still awake. The only way I could shut down was to make a mental list of everything I needed to remember. Once I had the list, I drifted off.

I remember making the list. Problem is, I now can’t remember the actual items on the list.

An hour and a half of possible sleep wasted, lost. Come Sunday, the creative side gets to rise again. Run things. Run amok. Let’s just hope it remembers to take out the trash and pay the bills.

I hate it when I think of things I need to do or what to say in an article and can't write them down. I know 30 minutes later I won't remember a thing, other than knowing the first thoughts I had were much better than the ones I'm having at that time.

I have an itinerary for my writing, to keep me somewhat on track. When I'm immersed in that writing list, it's a free for all of creativity. I guess I have to "see" I'm making progress in different areas with the itinerary, or else I'll worry about what's being neglected, and then the worry interferes with the work. Oh it's a complicated cycle ;)

I seem to be able to channel my dad for some organizational things (my tupperware cupboard & the inside of my desk), other things I'm not able to organize the way other people do at all (calendars, the top of my desk). I think my brain just likes variety :)

"...make a mental list..." You stopped me there. I have a pad of paper and a pen by my bed. I scrawl on it when things keep me awake and then go right back to sleep. Even though I often can't read what I wrote there is always a word or two that jogs my memory...

I think this thought of creativity and how it links to being organized it so interesting. I think creativity--and even just the desire to be creative--can get in the way of organization for me. I've often wondered how the two types of personalities play out for other creatives.

There's organization and organization .. I think I operate on a different schedule that most of the other folks in my life. I found a great essay by Paul Graham (www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html ) that explains the difference between the “manager’s schedule” and the “maker’s schedule.” Most people are on the manager’s schedule, but writers and such are often on the maker’s schedule. Managers’ schedules work on short increments of time – one hour, two hours, etc. Makers’ schedules work on much larger blocks of time – a day, a week, even a month. When you try to make a maker carve up their days into hourly blocks, they become totally unproductive.

Graham doesn’t offer a way to turn a maker into a manager, or vice-versa, but he did get rid of my guilt over why I let a one-hour appointment or meeting turn my whole day into a useless mess. It's not because I'm disorganized -- I’m a maker, that’s why!

Wish I could keep thoughts in my head longer than 1 minute, but I think I must have some sort of memory disorder. I try to do brain dumps of all the things I can think of that I need to do...and even make lists for other people in my family. They LOVE their lists! :)

At 4 a.m, I just get up. And that's almost every day. Sigh. Insomniacs are Us. :)

I LOVE being organized! "A place for everything and everything in its place" is how I run my condo. Sometimes it gets out of hand, but that's what my husband is for - bringing a bit of chaos in for good measure.

I don't keep any lists in the bedroom, though. That room is for relaxing, and I don't like to bring "work" in there.

Angel Sometimes by Helen Ginger

Angel Sometimes

Helen Ginger

Helen is the author of five books: three non-fiction, a short story anthology and a contemporary fiction, Angel Sometimes. She maintains an informational and interactive blog for writers and a weekly e-newsletter that has been going out to subscribers around the globe for thirteen years. She is an owner-partner and Women’s Marketing Director for Legends In Our Own Minds®, which specializes in creative networking opportunities for companies and groups.